Mechanical motion and its use



March M, T1935 MECHANICAL MOTION AND ITS USE Filed Oct. 1., 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1:

INVENTOR.

March H9, 135. P. E. HARRISON MECHANICAL MOTION AND ITS USE Filed Oct. 1, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet v2 III.-

P. E HARRIISON MECHANICAL MOTION AND ITS 'USE Mafch E Filed Oct. 1 1932 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORY an element which is mounted in a revolvable ele- Patented Mar. 19, 1935 PATENT OFFICE I 1,994,472 MECHANICAL MOTION AND rrs USE Paul Edward Harrison, Donelson, to Du Pont Rayon Company,

Tenn., assignor New York, N. Y.,

a corporation of Delaware Application October 1,

31 Claims.

This invention relates to a mechanical motion. The invention also relates to the manufacture of thread by the bucket process. The invention also relates to a method of reciprocating ment. The invention also relates to a method of traversing thread between the top and bottom of a revolving bucket. The invention will be described with particular relation to the manufacture of rayon but it is to be understood that the invention is in its general aspect of the very widest application, and encompasses in particular any situation where thread is gathered in a revolving bucket.

In one of the processes of manufacturing regenerated cellulose threads the thread is collected in the form of a cake in a spinning bucket revolving at high speed. The thread is lowered into the bucket by a guide. In this specification the point in the guide from which the thread issues is called the point of incidence of the thread. As the cake is wound the point of incidence of the thread is reciprocated between the top and the bottom of the bucket, laying the thread in superimposed helices. The object of thus traversing the thread is to form a cake that can be uniformly purified, and that can be readily unwound during subsequent textile operations. The traverse motion may be obtained in a number of ways, of which the most common is to support a glass-funnel thread guide on a reciprocable bar. This mechanism is clumsy and cumbersome, and requires considerable power for operation, and frequent attention, adjustments, and repairs. Grease or oil from this mechanism frequently damages the yarn as it is spun, excessive breakage of funnels occurs, misalinement of the funnel creates kinks in the thread, faulty adjustment of the funnel and poor operation of the mechanism results in the formation of many cakes difiicult or impossible to process uniformly, and the mechanism limits the speed of reciprocation, and consequently, the speed of manufacture.

An object of this invention is to improve the manufacture of rayon. Another object of the invention is a means of traversing thread in a revolving bucket. Another object of the invention is to improve and to simplify the bucket spinning machine. Another object of the in-- vention is to obtain reciprocating motion between two rotating elements. -Other objects of the invention will be in part apparent and in part set forth elsewhere herein.

The objects of the invention are attained,

1932, Serial No. 635,745 (01. 118-49) generally speaking, by mounting a tube by a combined right and left screw co-axially of a revolving body. Other objects of the invention are obtained by using a rotating thread guide to direct thread into a revolving bucket. Other objects of the invention are accomplished by applying the general principle of the invention to the problem of spinning thread, and by the details of the structures herein specifically described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a prefen-ed form of the, invention as applied to a bucket used in the spinning of-thread; Figure 2 is a modified form of the invention as applied to the bucket process of manufacturing thread; 15 Figure 3 illustrates yet another application of the invention to the art of manufacturing thread.

It is a portion of my discovery that, if an element be rotatably mounted axially on a. re- 20 volvable element by means of a screw and nut mounting, the mounted element will be rotated by the revolving element but with sufficient loss of motion between them to cause the mounted element to travel on the screw. In addition to 25 this general principle, I. have invented specific mechanisms embodying the general principle, and these mechanisms will now be described.

In Figure 1, 10 is a spindle attached to or driven by a motor, not shown; 11 is a spinning bucket 30 mounted on and rotatable by said spindle; 12 is.

a bucket cover which may be of any type but which is preferably of the type disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 629,446, filed August 19, 1932, 13 is an adapter nut mounted centrally of the bucket cover; 14 are shoes pivotally mounted in opposite sides of the nut; 15 indicates generally a reciprocating thread guide which is composed, in this form of the invention,

of a holder 151 and a funnel of glass or other suitable material 152 which is removably mounted in the holder; 16 is a combined right and left screw thread cut in the guide 15 in mesh with the shoes 14 of the nut 13; 17 are wind vanes.

The invention functions as follows:

The motor, not shown, turns the spindle 10 which revolves the bucket 11 and the cover 12. As the bucket revolves the guide 15 revolves with it but at a'lower speed because there is lost motion between the nut and the guide. It follows, consequently, that the guide turns with respect to the nut. As the guide turns it is carried up on one screw thread and down on the other which gives it a reciprocating motion. When this form of the invention is used to make rayon by the far viscose process, the thread is lowered through the funnel by the operator in any convenient manner and is picked up by the whirl of the bucket and built into a cake. The height of the bucket cake within the bucket is determined by the highest and lowest points reached by the point of incidence of the thread- The extent of travel of the guide is determined by the length of the screw.

The rate of reciprocation of the guide can be varied by using a guide having a screw with a difierent pitch or by changing the size or shape of the wind vanes or by combining the two. For a bucket revolving at about 7000 R. P. M. a traversing guide can be made to traverse from about 50 to about 100 reciprocations per minute with a screw having a one-half inch pitch and with two wind vanes, each having an area of about one square inch, arranged 180 apart. If a difierent traversing speed is desired and it is inconvenient to change the nut and guide, wind vanes ofiering greater or less air resistance can be used depending on whether a faster or slower rate of reciprocation is desired.

The type of bucket cover described in the aboveidentified application .is particularly advantageous because it keeps the guide centered axially of the bucket at all times.

In Figure 2 is illustrated a form of the invention in which the bucket is traversed while the thread guide remains stationary. In this form of the invention indicates a spindle driven by a motor, not shown; 21 is a combined right and left screw on the spindle; 22 is a spinning bucket; 23 is a deep hub on the bucket; 24 are shoes mounted in the hub in mesh with the screw on the spindle; 25 is a bucket cover of any suitable type which is shown in this instance to be of the type above described; 26 indicates a bucket cake in the bucket; 30 indicates a cover to the well in which the bucket rotates; 31 indicates a support; 32 indicates a nut mounted in the support 31; 33 indicates a screw-threaded funnel support mounted for adjustment in nut 32; 34 indicates a glass thread guide which is mounted in the holder 33 and whose lower end projects into the bucket; 27 are wind vanes on the bucket.

In this form of the invention the rotation of the spindle rotates the bucket but there is lost motion beween the spindle and the bucket which causes the bucket to revolve with respect to the spindle. As it revolves it reciprocates on the screw. The height of the cake is determined by the distance the bucket travels in reciprocating which is, in turn, determined by the length of the In the forms of the invention already described, and in fact in all forms of the invention, the wind vanes are a helpful addition but not a necessity. They form a convenient method of controlling or altering the reciprocations of the reciprocating element. In a great many cases, however, and in fact in most cases, their presence can be dispensed withsince there is suflicient relative motion between the driving and the driven element to give an entirely satisfactory result.

Another application of the invention is shown in Figure 3. In that figure is a support; 41 is a bracket mounted on said support; 42 is a rubber pad between bracket and support to minimize vibration; 43 is an electric motor; 44 is the armature of the motor; 45 is the core of the armature which is made hollow; 451 is a section of the hollow core extending beyond the motor casing; 46 is a spinning bucket attached to extension 451; 461 is a bucket cover; 452 is an extension beyond the motor at the other end of the core 45 (it could be at either end) which constitutes a nut; 47 are shoes in the nut; 48 is a thread guide comprised, in this instance, of a holder 481 and a funnel 482 mounted in the holder; 49 are wind vanes on the guide; 50 is a combined right and left screw in the guide meshing with the shoes 47 in the nut 452.

This form of the invention functions as follows: The motor is started, the armature revolves turning the bucket, and the operator lowers thread in any suitable way through the 'guide into the interior of the bucket. As the armature revolves the guide revolves with it but at a slower speed which causes relative motion between the nut and the screw. This relative motion causes the guide to travel longitudinally with respect to the core and to be reciprocated by the right and left screw; The end of the guide which is in the bucket is, consequently, reciprocated between the top and bottom of the bucket and by its reciprocation determines the height of the cake. The length of its reciprocations is in turn determined by the distance between the ends of the screw. The same means may be used in this form of the invention to modify the speed with which the guide reciprocates that can be used in the other forms of the invention. In this form of the invention, when the cake is spun to the desired size, the bucket is stopped and the cover is removed. As the cover is removed the bucket cake slides out of the bucket and remains on the cover.

In all forms of the invention rubber buffers or shock absorbers of other types may be used if desired.

An advantage of my invention is in the simplification of the bucket spinning machines heretofore used. This simplification includes, among other things, the elimination of the old cumbersome traversing gear.

Another advantage of the invention is the improvement of a bucket spinning method of manufacturing thread. The improvement includes, among other things, the provision of a traversing mechanism which operates with very low power compared to the powerrequired for prior art mechanisms, and reduction of funnel breakage. It also includes the ability to traverse the thread rapidly enough to permit exceedingly high bucket speeds with the steep thread crossing necessary to a permeable cake. Prior art traversing mechanisms could lay the thread steeply only at bucket speeds under about 7000 R. P. M. With my invention no difliculty is experienced in traversing the thread steeply at any bucket speed.

Another advantage of the invention is the improvement of the quality of rayon produced: Kinks in the thread are caused by the guide being ofi-center, but in my invention the guide is oncenter at all times and kinks are eliminated. The reciprocation of the guide is positive and exact, and necessarily keeps its relation to the other moving parts eliminating high and low cakes. Softer and more permeable cakes are manufactured at higher speeds of spinning because the thread can be reciprocated through any number of cycles per minute'whereas with the ordinary traversing motion the reciprocations were limited to about sixty per minute and even forty or fifty strokes per minute caused considerable trouble.

Another advantage of my invention is a mechanical motion which is applicable to a great variety of uses. parent to those skilled in the art.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an artificial thread manufacturing apparatus wherein thread is traversed axially with respect to, and wound as a cylindrical annulus within, a centrifugal collector; means, including a thread guide, for reciprocating collector and thread with respect to one another comprising a right-and-left screw and nut forming substantially the sole connection between the reciprocable member and a. rotatable member.

2. In a thread manufacturing machine, a bucket, means for revolving the bucket, a cover for the bucket, an adapter guide mounted axially in the cover, pivoted shoes mounted in the adapter guide, a funnel holder mounted in said guide, a funnel in said holder, a combined right and left screw on said holder in engagement with said pivoted shoes, and wind vanesv on said holder. 3. In a thread manufacturing machine, a

- bucket, means for revolving the bucket, acover for the bucket, a guide mounted axially in the cover, shoes mounted in the guide, a funnel holder mounted in the guide, a funnel in said holder, a combined right and left screw on said holder in engagement with said shoes, and wind' vanes on said holder.

4. In a thread manufacturing machine, a bucket, means for revolving the bucket, a cover for the bucket, a guide mounted axially in the cover, a funnel holder mounted in the guide, a funnel in said holder, a combined right and left screw on said holder cooperating with said guide to reciprocate the holder, and vanes on said holder. I

5. In a thread manufacturing machine, a bucket, means for revolving the bucket, a cover for the bucket, a guide mounted axially in the cover, thread-guiding and traversing means extending through the cover, a combined right and left screw on said means cooperating with said guide to reciprocate the holder, and vanes on said holder.

6. In a thread manufacturing machine, a bucket, means for revolving the bucket, a cover forthe bucket, :a tube mounted by a combined right and left screw centrally in the cover reciprocable by the rotation of the bucket, and vanes on said tube.

7. In a thread manufacturing machine, a. bucket having a closed to means for revolving the bucket, a tube revolvable by the rotation of the bucket, mounted by a combined right and left screw centrally in. the bucket top, and vanes on said tube.

8. In a thread manufacturing machine, a bucket having a closed top, means for revolving the bucket, a tube revolvable by the rotation of the bucket at a speed less than that of the bucket, mounted in the bucket top by a combined right and left screw, and vanes on said tube.

9. In a thread manufacturing machine, a bucket having a closed top, means for revolving the bucket, a tube revolvable by the rotation of the bucket at a speed less than that of the bucket, mounted in the bucket top by a combined right and left screw, wind vanes on the tube, the pitch of the screw and the size and arrangement of thevanes being such that the tube will be reciprocated at about 60 times per minute as the bucketturns at about 7000 R. P. M.

10. In a thread manufacturing machine, a bucket having a. closed top, means for revolving the bucket, a tube revolvable by the rotation of the bucket at a speed less than that of the bucket, mounted in the buckettop by a combined right and left screw, wind vanes on the tube, the pitch of the screw and the size and arrangement of the tube are such that the tube will bereciprocated as the bucket turns.

11. In a thread manufacturing machine, a bucket having a closed top, means for revolving the bucket, a tube revolvable by the rotation of the bucket at a speed different from that of the bucket, mounted in the bucket top by a combined right and left screw, the pitch of the screw being such that the tube will be reciprocated as the bucket turns.

'12. In a thread manufacturing machine, a'

bucket having a closed top, means for revolving the bucket, a tube revolvable by the rotation of the bucket at a speed different from that of the bucket, mounted in the bucket top, and means on said tube cooperating with means on said bucket to reciprocate the tube as the bucket revolves.

-13. In a thread manufacturing machine, a bucket, means for revolving the bucket, a tube revolvable by the rotation of the bucket at a speed different from that of the bucket, mounted in the bucket, and means on said tube cooperating with means on the bucket to reciprocate the tube as the bucket revolves.

14. In a thread manufacturing machine, a bucket, means for revolving the bucket, a thread guide revolvable by the rotation of the bucket at a speed different from'that of the bucket, and means on said guide cooperating with means on the bucket to reciprocate the guide as the bucket revolves.

15. In a thread manufacturing machine, a rotatable spindle, a combined right and left screw on said spindle, a spinning bucket having a long hub, shoes in said hub engaged with said screw, an adjustable funnel projecting into said bucket, and wind vanes on said bucket.

16. In a thread manufacturing machine, a rotatable spindle, a spinning bucket having a long hub, a combined right and left screw between spindle and hub, an adjustable funnel projecting into said bucket, and wind vanes on said bucket.

17. In a thread manufacturing machine, a rotatable spindle, a spinning bucket mounted on said spindle by means comprising a combined right and left screw, and wind vanes on said bucket.

18. In a thread manufacturing machine, a rotatable spindle, and a spinning bucket mounted thereon by means comprising a combined right and left screw.

19. In a thread manufacturing machine, a rotatable spindle, a spinning bucket mounted thereon, and means between said bucket and spindle for reciprocating the bucket.

20. In a thread manufacturing machine a vertically arranged electric motor having an armature with a hollow core extending beyond the motor, a bucket attached to said core, a funnel holder projecting through said core, a funnel in said holder, a combined right and left screw between said holder and said core, and wind vanes on said holder.

21. In a thread manufacturing machine, a vertically arranged electric motor having an armature with a hollow core extending beyond the motor, a bucket attached to said core, a tube projecting through said core, a combined right and left screw between said tube and said core, and wind vanes on said tube.

22. In a thread manufacturing machine, an electric motor having an armature with a hollow core, a bucket driven by said core, a tube projecting through said core, a combined right and left screw between said tube and said core, and wind vanes on said tube.

23. In a thread manufacturing machine, a rotary motor having a hollow core, a bucket driven thereby, a tube passing through the core and projecting into the bucket mounted in said core by a combined right and left screw, and wind vanes on said tube.

24. In a thread manufacturing machine, a rotary motor having a hollow core, a bucket driven thereby, a tube projecting into the bucket, mounted in said core by a combined right and left screw, and wind vanes on said tube.

25. In a thread manufacturing machine, a rotary motor having a hollow core, a bucket driven by said motor, a thread guide passing through said core and projecting into said bucket, and means for reciprocating said guide comprising 9.

combined right and left screw between said core and said guide.

26. In a thread manufacturing machine, a ro-' tary motor having a hollow core, a bucket driven thereby, a thread guide passing through said core and projecting into said bucket, and means between said core and said guide for reciprocating said guide.

2'7. In a-mechanical motion a revolvable member, a nut therein, and a right and left screw freely mounted in said nut.

' 28. In a mechanical motion a revolvable member and a right and left screw freely rotatably mounted centrally thereof.

29. In a mechanical motion a revolvable member and a right and left screw freely rotatably ber, means freely mounted therein for motion axially thereof, and means deriving its power from the rotation of the revolvable member for moving the said means axially.

PAUL EDWARD HARRISON. 

